Digitalising the tax system has been a hot topic on the government’s agenda for several years now. My earlier blog “I’m a sole trader – will I need to submit 4 tax returns a year?” outlined the government’s initial proposals on Making Tax Digital (MTD). The last year has seen a huge response from the […]

It would appear that small businesses and the self-employed have once again come into the firing line through measures introduced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget. For the full 68 page report on the Budget 2017 you can click here. In the meantime, here are the key points affecting small business owners: Compliance with Making Tax […]

As an accountant, I regularly receive calls from software companies, inviting me to trial their product. So when I was first approached by Xero I have to admit that my initial reaction to the “salesy“ (although admittedly slick) marketing pitch was to run a mile. But actually, Xero proved to be anything but an […]

You’re a sole trader running a small business. You’re feeling comfortable with the whole annual self-assessment tax process and you’ve mastered Excel spread-sheets. But, brace yourself. The government has planned a big digital overhaul of the tax system with a raft of new tax changes coming your way. The rationale behind the “Making Tax Digital” plan is HMRC’s […]

You’re a small business owner managing your own bookkeeping using Excel. But recently, the complexity of the business has changed. You’re trying to muddle through with the same old processes and procedures but inside you’re crying out for some order, some structure (and a bit of a breather). Can you relate? When it’s OK to […]

With spring round the corner, this time of year often brings with it, a sense of renewed energy and intentions of improvement. There’s really no better time to devote to a spot of spring cleaning – not the ’empty out the garage’ type but the de-cluttering and re-organising of your small business bookkeeping systems. Here are my […]